Can-spraying machine



May 27, 1930. E. c. MUELLER CAN SPRAYING MACHINE 1.925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug 25 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS May 27, 1930. E. c. MUELLER CAN SPRAYING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR v :M, y W ATTORN EYS latented May 27, 1930 umT osTATE S PATE T F j EDWARD O. MUELLER, OF TOLEDO, OEIQ'ASSIGNOBTO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, 01'

NEW 1103K, N. Y A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY cm-srnavme mcnmn .This invention relates to machines for sprayingthe interior of containers to pro.- vide therein a protective coating adapted to prevent corrosion and surface defacement m the handling or use of the container.

The invention is perhaps particularly adapted for the'spraying of large containers,

. outfit for applying held in the hand while the container is in plate is normally provided with a tin coating.

In accordance with present practice, the relatively large lead and paint containers are coated by and, the exterior by means of a hand operated spray outfit and the interior by means of. a swab or sponge. The spray the exterior coating is manipulated by an attendant, the spray being an inverted osition on a rotating plate or table, 'efiort eing made to apply a uniform coating over the entire outer surface of the container and the coating being of such, ma: terials and colors as to protect the surfac'e from corrosion and to give a distinctive appearance. It is evident that to perform these in one o eration or .ators are-likely to unintentionally leave spots upon the container which are uncoated, re-

hand operations quickly and eificientl requires considerable care, and it is also di cult to perform the separate inside and outside coating operations in proper timed relationship and to produce ood work without delay 51c other. Furthermore,

thelian work is very tedious and the opersulting i'nrust spots, which not only impair the efiiciency but mar the appearance of the sprayingl container; 7 1

The principal object of the present invention is to .provide a machine for automatically the interior of. the containers, and inasmuc as the same are supported in inverted position. upon a rotatingtui'ret or table, provision may be also be made for spraying I the latter being ing toward the left in Fig.

Application fllcdhug'ust 25, 1925. Serial 110. 52,835.

the exterior of'the container at the same time, although the exterior spraying means forms no part of the present invention and is not disclosed in the drawings.

The further objects of the invention include the provision, in addition to the eneral combination of elements in the mac 'ne, of the several separate instrumentalities and subcombinations employed in the automatic spraying and manipulation of the cans.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be a parent as it is better understood from the ollowing description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawin s, discloses a preferred embodiment thereo Referring to the drawings, I

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional and elevational view of the machine and of the container in position to be operated upon thereby,

convenience in illustration;

Fig. 2 is a sectional and elevational view of the clutch mechanism on the cam shaft, look- Fig. .3 is an enlarged sectional and elevational view of the air and spray material control valves and the operating means therefor I Fig. 4 is an elevational view thereof, certain parts being shown in section and others partially broken. away for p broken away for convenience in illustration;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view .of the spray nozzle; and r I Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof, showing also the means for rocking the same in the spraying operation. Upon saiddrawings, illustrating manner in which I have thus far contemplated applying the'principles of m invention, the reference character 11 in 'cates a table supported by legs 12 and providing a support or the operating elements of the machine. A rotatable turret 13 is Secured blyl means of screws 14 to a sleeve 15 rotat- & y.

ing plate 17 resting uponan upwardly extending flange 18 formed in the body of the table 11. Ball bearings 19 are provided for said sleeve 15, which latter carries a bevel the best mounted in a hub part 16 of a supportgear 21 at the lower end thereof meshing with a bevel gear 22 upon a horizontal shaft 23, supported in bearings 24 and 25 depending from the table 11. Said gear 22 is loose upon said shaft 23 and is adapted to be connected therewith by means of clutch members 26 and 27, the latter being splinedto the shaft and movable longitudinally there of by meansof a bell crank 28, connected by means of a rod 29 with a foot lever 31, normally held in raised position by means of a spring 32 connected at one end wlth said rod and at the opposite end to a plate 33 upon the floor, said plate having upstanding cars 34 to which said foot lever is plvoted by means of a pin 35, it being understood that said rod is connected with a portion of said foot lever on the opposite side of the pivot 35 from a pedal 36 formed upon one end of said lever. The opposite arms of said bell crank 28 are bifurcated at their lower ends, as indicated at 37, and carry studs, or rollers, 38 engaging in a groove 39 in the clutch member 27. The shaft 23 has a yielding point provided by a torsion spring 41 and carries at its outer end a pulley 42,

adapted to be driven by a suitable belt connection with a source of power.

The turn table, or turret, 13 is provided with can holding members 43 secured thereto by means of bolts 44, said members having outwardly extending points 45 adapted to engage the interior of a can 46 when the latter is positioned thereon, the outer top portions of said points being inclined downwardly to facilitate the positioning ofthe can. It will now be apparent that with the shaft 23 continuously rotating, the turntable 13 and the can supported thereon may be rotated for any desired length of time by engaging the clutch members 26 and 27. A pinion 47 is carried upon the shaft 23 adjacent the bearing 25 and meshes with a gear 48 upon a short shaft 49, which carries a pinion 51 meshing with a gear 52, loose upon a horizontal cam shaft 53, suitable clutch mechanism, to be next described, being provided for operatively connecting said gear to said shaft 53.

Said clutch mechanism is of the Wellknown type employed upon punch presses and like machines, and' comprises a pin 54, slidably mounted in a collar which is formed of the parts 55 and 56, the parts being rigid with the shaft 53 and a groove 57 being provided between said parts. The pin 54 is normally held entirely within the collar by means of a cam member 58, carried at the top of a rod 59 normally held in raised position by a spring 61 arranged within a housing 62 supported from a bracket 63 depending from a bearing 64 for the shaft 53, said bearing being formed in a bracket 65 depending from the table 11. Said rod 59 is secured at its lower end to a foot lever 66,

pivoted at 67 to upstanding ears 68 on a floor plate 69., When said lever is lowered and the cam 58 disengaged from the pin 54, the latter will be moved by a spring 71 into engagement with a hole 54 (Fig. 2) 1n the face of gear 52, thereby clutching the gear 52 and causing it to turn with the shaft 53. The shaft 53 carries a cam 72 adapted to actuate a rack bar 73, which carries a roller 74 at its lower end and at its upper end is provided with teeth 75, meshing with a segmental gear 76, which is rigid with a spray nozzle 77 to be presently described. Said rack bar is slidably mounted in a guideway 78 in a frame member 79 extending through the sleeve 15 from beneath the table 11 to a position above the turntable 13, said member supporting the spray nozzle 77 at the top thereof. Said spray nozzle 77 and the segmental gear 76 form a complete movable unit, the gear carrying conical bearings 81, held in position by adjustable bushings 82, threaded into the top of the frame member 79.

Air and spray material are delivered to the spray nozzle 77 from suitable sources of supply through valve mechanism arranged within a housing 83 supported from the frame and shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Separate Valves are provided for the air and spray material and are alike, excepting for the arrangement of the intake and outlet pipes, which are oppositely arranged. Said valves comprise vertically movable members 84 and 85, carrying rollers 86 and 87 at the lower ends thereof, said members having beveled shoulder parts 88 intermediate the ends thereof adapted to cooperate with valve seats 89 in the casing to close the valves, springs 91 being provided upon the upper ends of said members above the shoulder parts 88 and within chambers 92 in the valve casing to hold said members in closed position with the rollers 86 and 87in contact with cams 93 and 94 on the shaft 53. An inlet pipe 95 carrying spraying liquid from any suitable source of supply for the valve 84 is provided beneath the valve seat 89 and a pipe 96 carrying compressed air from any suitable source of supply for the valve 85 above the corresponding part'of the latter, and outlet pipes 97 and 98 for spraying material and air respectively lead from the valves 84'and 85, respectively, to passages 99 and 101, vertically disposed in the member 79. Said passages lead to annular channels 102 and 103 in the bushings 82, which latter are provided with openings 104 and 105, the open-- ing 104 leading from the channel 10 through the conical bearings81 into the nozzle 77. Said nozzle comprises a hollow conical member 106, having threaded engagement with the upper end of a tubular extension 107 on the bearing member 81, a nut 108 being positioned upon said extension beneath said memher 106. Outlet members 109 are provided at the sides of the conical member 106 and are held-in place by means of a nut 111 and 1 threaded flange 112 positioned at the upper extremity of a hollow stud 113, which is screwed into the bearing 81, as indicated at 114. The opening 105 communicates with'a passage 115 in said stud 113 and it will be understood that air may be delivered from one of the valves through one line of, communication, as just described,,an'd spraying material through the other. Outlets -116 and 117 in the wall of the member 106 are provided and communicate, respectively, with passages 118 and 119 ope inwardly, as shown in the outl upwardly and zle 77 is rocked by means of the rack 73 and gear 76, the air and spray material will be directed at various angles about the interior of the can and, inasmuch as the latter is rotating during the spraying operation, the entire inner surface will be thoroughly and effectively coated and the entire operation will be rapidly and eflicientlyl per.- formed. v

In actual practice the operator places a can body to be operated on in inverted position upon the turret 13 which at such time is not rotating. He then depresses the foot lever 36 bringing the clutch members 26 and a 27 into clutched engagement, this action revolving the turret 13 'throughthe gear con- 1 nections 21. and 22and sleeve 15 asdescribedl He then depresses the foot lever 66 which withdraws the cam 58 and permits spring 71to force pin 54 into clutched position, this rotating shaft 53 and actuating the cams 93 and 94:,which'permits the feeding of spray liquid and air respectively through the valve members 84 and 85. The spraying material then passes-from the valve 84 through pipe 97 into the channels 101 and 105, int0- the hollow stud member 113 The air on the other hand passes from the valve 85 through the pip'p 98 into the channel 99 through opening 104, and thence through the-various air,

passages .116, 117, 118 and 119. The compressed air is thus projected against the spray issuing from the point of the stud member'113and the spray liquid is thus finely divided or vaporized and projected against the insidewalls of the container. The spray nozzle 77 is bodily shifted about its axis by I means of the rack bar 73 and segmental' gear 7 6, assuming positions at different, angles as clearly shown in Fig,6 and thus reaching all possible locations. For example, the project- .ed stream of spray material is first directed upward to the center of the can, and as the nozzle is moved about its axis the spray is directed downward from the vertical to a practically horizontal position, and since the can is being constantly rotated-at such-time it t members 109. I It will be evident that when the spray noz-' should be evident that the'spray liquid is apr plied to the entire inner surface.

. While the can is thus revolving and the interior is being. automatically coatedthe operator can, if desirable; project a stream of spraying material by'hand to the exteriorof thecan.--

The can with the turret 13 will revolve as long as the foot treadle 36 is depressed but even though the foot treadle 66 is released the shaft 53-will make one complete revolution before its 'pin' 54 --is disconnected from the driving gear'52. Inasmuch as several rotations'of the shaft 49 are made to one of the shaft 53 the can supported on the turret 13 will be rotated suificient to insure that the spraying material .covers the entire interior of the can by providingfor sufiicient overlap of the projected spray.

In practice, a hood may be placed over the can to protect surrounding objects from the spray material, and provision may bemade,

if desired. for spraying the exterior of the can at 'the same time the interior is being sprayed by the automatic apparatus just described. j

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from "the foregoing descripion, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, ment of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely 'a preli ng the supply of spraying material to said spraying mechanism,

a cam shaft'operative- 1y connected with said power shaft and having cams thereon for automatically operating said valve mechanism, and manually con-' trollable clutches adapted, respectively, to connect said rotatable element and said cam shaft to the power. v I

2. Apparatus for coating containers, comprising a rotatable element for supporting the can, a power shaft operatively connected construction and arrangeas I a rotatable element for supporting with said element to rotate the same, spraying mechanism positioned substantially within the cam when the later is in place and movable to spray theentire interior of the can as the same is rotated, valve mechanism for controlling the supply of spraying material to said spraylng mechanism, a cam shaft operatively connected with said power shaft and having cams thereon for automatically operating said valve mechanism, anda rack and pinion in the open part of the container and operable by said cam shaft for imparting a rocking motion to said spraying mechanism during the spraying operation.

3. Apparatus for coating containers, comprising means for holding the container in inverted position, a pivoted spraying nozzle located within the container when the latter is positioned for spraying, means for supplying spraying material to said nozzle, means for rocking the nozzle within the container,

said nozzle being directed to spray material away from its axis of rocking, and means for rotating the container around and outside of the nozzle during the spraying operation.

4. Apparatus for coating containers, comprising means for supporting and rotating a container, spraying means located Within the container, when the latter is positioned for spraying and having devices imparting to the spraying means motion in the container from side to side thereof to direct the spraying material about the entire interior surface, and means for automatically controlling the supply of spraying material to said last-mentioned means.

5. Apparatus for coating containers, comprising means for supporting and rotating a container, spraying means located within the container when the latter is positioned for spraying, and having devices imparting to said spraying means an oscillating movement Within the container to direct the spraying material about the entire interior surface, and means for automatically controlling the supply of spraying material and air to said last-mentioned means.

6. Apparatus for coating containers, comprising means for supporting and rotating a container, pivoted spraying means located within the container when the latter is positioned for spraying and having oscillating motion therein to direct the spraying material about the interior surface, means for automatically controlling the supply of spray ing material to said last mentioned means, and a single source of power for operating said can rotating means and said spraying means.

7. An apparatus for coating the inside surfaces of containers, comprising means for holding and rotating a container in an inverted position, spray means located within said container when the latter is in place and having devices wards and from the inner sides and bottom of the container whereby spray material is projected over the entire surface of said container, with automatic means for controlling the, supply of spray material delivered for each container.

for moving the spray means tomeans pivoted on a substantially horizontal axis and positioned within said container.

when the latter is in place and having movement to different inclinations for projecting spray material over the entire interlor surface of said container while it is rotating, automatically operated means for admitting spray material to said spray means, and power means for operating said apparatus.

9. An apparatus for coating container comprising manually controlled, automatically operated means for holding and rotating a container in an inverted position, manually controlled, automatically operated spray means positioned substantially within said container when the latter is in place and movable to different angles relative to the sides of the container for projecting spray material over the entire interior surface of said container, manually controlled automatically operated means for admitting spray material to said spray means, and power means for operating said apparatus.

10. An apparatus for coating containers, comprising manually controlled, automatically operated means for holding and rotating a container while in an inverted position, manually controlled, automatically operated spray 'means pivotally mounted and positioned substantially within said container when the latter is in place and having oscillating movement for projecting spray material over the entire interior surface of said container, manually controlled, automatically operated means for admitting spraymaterial to said spray means, and power means for operating said apparatus.

11. Apparatus for coating containers, comprising a rotatable element for supporting the can, a power shaft operatively connected with said element'to rotate the same, spraying means positioned substantially within the can when the latter is in place and movable to spray the entire interior of the can as the same is rotated, devices for moving the spraying means to different angles within the container, valve mechanism for controlling the supply of spraying material to said spraying mechanism, and a cam shaft operatively connected with said power shaft and having cams thereon for automatically operating said valve mechanism.

, 12. Apparatus for coating containers, comprising-a rotatable element forsupporting the can,"'a power shaft operatively connected with said element to rotate the same, spraying mechanism pivotally mounted and positioned substantially within the can when the latter is in place and movable to spray the entire interior of the can as the same is rotated, valve mechanism for controlling the supply of spraying material to said spraying mechanism, a cam shaft operatively connected with said power shaft and having cams thereon for automatically operating said valve mechanism, and a manually controllable clutch for connecting said cam shaft to the power.

13. Apparatus for coating containers, comprising a rotatable element for supporting the can, a power shaft operatively connected with said element to rotate the same, spraying devices positioned substantially within the can when the latter is in place and movable to spray the entire interior of the can as the same is rotated, devices for moving the spraying device to different angles relative to the sides and bottom of the container, valve mechanism for controlling the supply of spraying material to said spraying mechanism, a cam shaft 0 eratively con-' nected with said power sha and having cams thereon for automatically operating said valve mechanism, and a manually controllable clutch for connecting said rotata-- ble element to the power.

EDWARD C. MUELLER. 

